Merchandising container



April 23, 1968 F. E. HORTON MERCHANDISING CONTAINER Filed June 6, 1966 l/lll .ll ||||C. ,IIIIIIIIILL I. n n I United States Patent 3,379,235 MERCHANDISING CONTAINER Frank E. Horton, Dorchester, Mass., assignor to Cartier, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 6, 1966, Ser. No. 555,463 6 Claims. (Cl. 1501.7)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bag of small size and pleasing external appearance appropriate as a sales receptacle for small articles of jewelry and having a handle device at each of opposite sides which, by gravity action, tends to retreat from view, when released.

This invention pertains to receptacles, in particular to a bag designed with special reference to its use as a merchandising container for small articles of value, for example, jewelry.

customarily, articles of jewelry are delivered to the customer by the retail merchant in a cardboard box which, it is true, may be of good enough external appearance for use in the merchandising of costume or similar, relatively cheap jewelry, but which hardly seem appropriate as containers for articles of real value, such as rings, bracelets and so forth, of gold, especially when embellished with real gems. Furthermore, in delivering articles in cardboard boxes, as above referred to, it is customary to wrap the box in paper or place it in a conventional paper bag in handing it to the purchaser. Neither of these expedients produces a package of aesthetic appearance. Moreover, such a package, usually being of small dimensions, presents the possibility of easy misplacement or loss.

The present invention has for its particular object the provision of a bag or bag-like sales-receptacle which is of pleasing external appearance; of a size appropriate to accommodate most objects of jewelry; and which is strong; resistant to wear and tear; which may be employed as a permanent and appropriate container for the jeweled article between periods of use, and which has provision whereby it may be carried, without requiring external wrappings, in a convenient manner and with reasonable assurance that it will not be mislaid or lost. A further object is to provide a receptacle having the above characteristics, such as may readily be manufactured, in various sizes if desired, and, for the most part, by the use of conventional and readily attainable materials.

Other and further objects and advantages of the inven tion will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation, to small scale, illustrating a bag, in accordance with the present invention with both handle elements in depressed and in almost invisible position, and suggesting the type of material which may be employed for making the exterior Wall of the bag.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation, to larger scale, with a portion of the front wall broken away to show interior parts, and with one of the handle elements shown in its fully extended or operative position;

FIG. 3 is a similar view but showing one side of the bag, with a portion of its wall broken away;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the top of the bag stretched wide open, and with one of the handle elements removed, and with a portion of the lining broken away t6 show interior construction;

FIG. 5 is a small scale, diagrammatic front elevation, illustrating one of the rigid frames to which the respective handle elements are connected,

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section, to larger scale, substantially on the line 66 of FIG. 4 and showing one of the handle-attaching chains; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the construction of the bottom portion of the bag.

Referring to the drawings, the character B designates the bag as a whole, this bag in the embodiment here shown, by Way of illustration, (FIG. 4) comprising the substantially parallel front and rear walls 10 and 11 respectively; the right and left side walls 12 and 13; and the bottom 15 (FIGS. 2 and 7), each of these walls and the bottom comprising an outer ply P and a lining ply L.

As here shown, the front and rear walls and the end walls are substantially rectangular in contour and likewise the bottom wall, but other shapes and configurations are considered to be within the scope of the invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the bottom desirably comprises a stilfener ply 15x between the lining L and the outer ply P, so that the bottom will be substantially flat.

The outer plies of the several walls are joined by sewed seams which are so formed (FIG. 4) as to produce, for ornamental effect, outwardly projecting ribs R. However, it is to be understood that the front and rear walls may be united in conventional manner to the side Walls without the formation of such ribs. The lining ply is desirably a seamless tubular part, although it may be made by seaming one or more pieces of material. It is contemplated, in accordance with the invention, that the material of the outer ply will be selected for pleasing and ornamental effect and desirably as being soft and pleasing to the touch. For example, the outer ply may be of a Jacquard-pattern brocade, including yarns of contrasting colors, metallic threads or Fiberglas yarn, or on the other hand the outer ply may be in part, at least, of soft, thin doe-skin, thin, flexible reptile skin, or in fact any other material having the desired pleasing character.

At the upper open end of the bag the inner and outer plies are united by a sewed seam after being turned in and, if desired, although not here illustrated, an ornamental bead or binding may be arranged to define the upper edge. The upper edge, in the embodiment shown, lies in a plane parallel to that of the bottom of the bag.

In accordance with the present invention, there is installed, between the inner and outer plies of the front and rear walls respectively, before the formation of the closing seams, a rigid frame (FIG. 5) comprising parallel, metallic tubes 16 and 17 which are held in the proper spaced relation by rigid spacer rods 18a and 19 which may be brazed or otherwise firmly secured to the tubes. These tubes are of a length to extend from a point slightly below the plane of the upper edge of the bag to a point near the bottom of the bag. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, each frame is located approximately midway between the respective side walls, and may be held securely in position, by sewing stitches, for example, stitches or loops which wrap the rods 13a and 19 and pass through the material of the lining, although they may be held in place by any other suitable means, for example metal fasteners.

Each of the frames is provided with a top closure plate 20 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6), each plate being provided near its opposite ends, respectively, with a downwardly directed tunbular boss 21 (FIG. 6) each of which fits snugly within the upper end of one of the respective tubes 16 and 17, and which, if desired, may be soldered or welded, as shown at 22, (FIG. 6) to the tube. In the completed receptacle, the upper surface of this top bar 20 is desirably located just below the upper edge of the bag so that it is not visible from the side.

Each of the tubular bosses 21 is provided with a smoothly curved, downwardly convergent entrance opening 23 (KG. 6). The lower edge of the tubular boss constitutes a limiting stop for the upper end of an elongate, cylindrical weight 18 (FIGS. 3 and 6) which is freely movable up and down within the corresponding tube. As here illustrated, each weight is of approximately one-half the length of the tube in which it slides. At its upper end, each weight has a loop 24 (FIG. 6) to which there is secured the lower end of a flexible connector, here shown by way of example, as a link chain 25. The upper end of each, respectively, of the two chains 25 which are attached to the weights which slide within the tubes of one of the respective frames, are connected to the opposite end portions, respectively, of a rigid elongate handle element 26 (FIG. 1) which may, for example, be of stainless steel, white metal or some other but not easily corrodable rigid material, each. of these handle elements 26 being provided near its opposite ends with a connecting ring or loop 25x to which the upper end of the corresponding chain 25 is secured. The connecting loops 25x are spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the axes of the tubes 16 and 17, so that the chains will remain parallel as the weights 18 are moved up and down in the tubes. As here shown, each handle element 26 is provided with a concave lower edge 27 for engagement by the finger of the user.

Normally, when the bag is not in use, the handle elements 26, 26a (FIG. 2) both occupy the position of the handle element 26a shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the weights 18 automatically returning the handle elements by gravity action to this position when the handle elements are released from the finger of the user. As thus positioned, the handle elements impart an ornamental appearance. When the bag is to be carried, the user takes the two handle elements between the thumb and finger and pulls them up, possibly, until the weights 18 eventually contact the parts 21. This leaves ample room beneath the handle elements for the user to insert the finger between them and the upper edge of the bag. Thus the bag may be carried suspended from the users finger, the flexibility of the chains 25 being such that the bag may sway back and forth with the users movements thus avoiding any unpleasantness due to rigidity of the parts.

In order to prevent accidental spilling of the contents of the bag, it is proposed, in accordance with the invention, to provide the front and rear walls of the bag with the complementary parts of a snap fastener device 30 (FIG. 2) or equivalent means, these fastener elements being located approximately midway the width of the bag and between the tubes 16 and 17 of the respective frames, and at a distance below the upper edge of the bag of, for example, three-fourths of an inch. If desired, this fastener device may comprise an ornamental part which is visible at the outside of the bag, such as a small medallion or similar device. On the other hand, such an external ornamental device independent of the fastener, may be attached, if desired, to the wall of the bag by stitches.

Merely, as an instance of dimensions suggested for such a bag, the width of the front and rear walls may be two inches; the width of the side walls approximately one inch; and the depth of the bag from its upper edge to its bottom three inches, these dimensions being mentioned merely by way of example as those of a bag particularly designed for the purpose intended and for use in the sale of relatively small articles of jewelry. Obviously, if the bag is intended for use in the merchandising of larger articles, it may be of correspondingly increased dimensions, although the relative proportions of the several parts above suggested is recommended for artistic eflect.

While for convenience in description, certain of the walls of the receptacle have been referred to as front or back and side walls, the description has no limiting intent, since the handle elements will be associated with opposite walls, whether these walls be wider, narrower, or of equal width with the others.

Likewise, while the device for connecting the handle elements to the weight is shown as a link chain, any equivalent flexible connector is considered to be within the scope of the invention.

While one embodiment of the invention has herein been disclosed by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sales receptacle for small articles of value comprising a bag-like container having a bottom wall, front and rear walls and side walls having finished upper edges, the bag being normally open at its top, a handle element associated with the upper edge of each of two opposite walls, respectively, and which is normally located in close and in parallel relation to the upper edge of the respective wall, each handle element being movable so that it may be moved upwardly and away from the upper edge of said wall to permit insertion of the finger of the user between said upper edge of the wall and the handle element, further characterized in that each handle element is elongate and rigid and is attached to flexible connector means, and means attached to the connector means which is -operative, normally, to hold the respective handle element close to and parallel with the upper edge of the respective wall with which it is associated but which permits separation of the handle element from said edge, wherein each wall of the bag comprises an outer ply and a lining ply and a rigid frame is located between the plies of each of opposite walls, each frame comprising at least one rigid, elongate, tubular member perpendicular to the upper edge of the wall, with which it is assembled, and an elongate weight which is slidable withinsaid tubular member and to which one end of a flexible connector is secured, the opposite end of the flexible connector being attached to the handle element.

2. A sales receptacle according to claim 1, wherein each. frame comprises two parallel elongate tubes and spaced rigid bars connecting said tubes, and a top member, fixed to the upper ends of the tubes, having holes which register with the respective tubes, an elongate weight slidable in each tube, flexible chains attached at their lower ends to the respective weights and at their upper ends to the opposite ends of elongate handle elements, respectively, and means so securing each frame between the outer and lining plies of the bag that its top member is located immediately below the plane of the extreme upper edge of the receptacle so that normally said top member is invisible from the exterior of the bag.

3. A sales receptacle according to claim 2 and wherein each handle element is an elongate rigid member having a part adjacent to each end, respectively, for the attachment of the flexible connector, the parts to which the connectors are attached being spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the axes of the parallel tubes which guide the weight.

4. A receptacle according to claim 2, further characterized in that each handle element has an upwardly concave lower edge for contact with the users fingers.

5. A sales receptacle according to claim 2, further characterized in that the bottom of the bag comprises an outer ply, a flat stiffener member and a lining ply, the stiffener member being interposed between the outer and lining plies and being in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the upper edge of the bag.

6. A sales receptacle for small articles of value comprising a bag-like container having a bottom wall, front and rear walls and side walls having finished upper edges, the bag being normally open at its top, a handle element associated with the upper edge of each of two opposite walls, respectively, and which is normally located in close and in parallel relation to the upper edge of the respective wall, each handle element being movable so that it 5 may be moved upwardly and away from the upper edge of said wall to permit insertion of the finger of the user between said upper edge of the wall and the handle element, further characterized in that each handle element is elongate and rigid, a length of flexible chain attached to each end, respectively, of each handle element, a weight attached to the lower end of each respective chain, and means within the container constituting a guideway providing for free upward and downward motion of each respective Weight whereby each handle element is normally held close to and parallel with the upper edge of the respective Wall with which it is associated but which permits separation of the handle element from said edge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Examiner. 

